ONLY
ONEby Redhawk

¡Olé!
Award Winner

Disclaimers:

Copyright: The characters
of Xena: Warrior Princess are owned by MCA/Universal and used here without permission.
References to a certain theory of immortality belong to Davis/Panzer Productions.
Everything else is mine.

Warnings: This story
depicts a love/sexual relationship between two consenting adult women.
If you are under 18 years of age or if this type of story is illegal in the
state or country in which you live, please do not read it. If depictions of
this nature disturb you, you may wish to read something other than this story.
This story depicts scenes of sexual violence and/or their aftermath.
Readers who are disturbed by or sensitive to this type of depiction may wish
to read something other than this story. There are several expletives
as well, though I've done my best to not let them get too out of hand. This
story contains a hurt/comfort scenario. There are standard scenes of
violence wherever Xena is concerned. This story has references to drugs/alcohol
to include usage, sales, and distribution of same. If you are under the age
of consent, leave. If it's illegal where you are currently residing, move. If
any of these things get your knickers in a twist, I know of a good fabric softener.

Part One: Tuesday

The woman sat at the back
of the Greek restaurant, ever vigilant. Her table afforded her the best view
of the entire establishment and it's entries. She pushed aside her plate, deposited
her knapkin on it, and took a sip of her wine. With a sigh, she leaned her long
form back and stretched her legs under the table.

The meal had been good.
The wine was better. Idly, she swirled the contents of her glass, ice blue eyes
wandering about the room.

"Can I get you anything
else?"

The woman looked up at the
waitress. "No, thanks, just the check."

"Sure. I'll be right back."
The waitress removed the woman's plate and wandered to the kitchen.

The woman watched the waitress
move away with some interest. Snorting, she shook her head and finished her
glass of wine. Now was not the time for that. Maybe later this week,
she'd be able to afford the leisure time, but she had a job to finish first.
Once that subpeona was delivered she'd be free and clear until the next hire.

Without warning, her stomach
and heart clenched. All her senses became crystal clear. Adrenaline pumped into
her system as she sat upright and carefully scanned the room. Someone's coming.
Her eyes narrowed as they darted to the door. She watched as a man walked in,
his eyes searching as well. Their search ended as their gazes locked, hazel
eyes to pale blue.

As the man smirked and threaded
his way through the restaurant to her table, the woman slouched back in her
chair and smiled ferally, studying him. He was of average height and weight,
yet he walked with an air of self-assurance. She noticed he led with his right,
and filed it away for future reference. Nobody I've met before. A youngling?

"Xena of Amphipolous, I
presume?" the man asked, his eyes studying her. He knew it had to be her. The
description alone was extremely accurate - ice blue eyes, dark hair, tall. She
was wearing a white shirt and vest, a small Celtic medallion hanging from her
neck. He could also see the slight bulge of a weapon in a shoulder holster under
her left arm.

"Who wants to know?"

"My name is Ernst Ginsberg.
Perhaps you've heard of me...?"

Xena pursed her lips and
stared off into space for a second. "Nope, I haven't," she lied. "Am I supposed
to be impressed?" Ginsberg. Something about Napolean. She took another
sip of her wine.

Ginsberg shrugged lightly,
conceding the point to her. He looked pointedly at the chair across from her.

The woman idly waved him
into the chair. As he settled down, the waitress returned with the check, surprised
to find a new customer.

"I'd like a glass of wine,
myself," Ginsberg told her. "And another for my friend....?" He raised his eybrows
at Xena, who shrugged and nodded.

After the waitress had delivered
their order and left, Xena spoke up, "So, what exactly is your definition of
ëfriend'?"

"Oh, you know, I think."
Ginsberg took a sip of his wine and nodded in approval. "An acquaintance, so
to speak. Not someone that I plan to spend a lot of time with."

Xena grinned and leaned
forward, a manic glint reaching her eyes. "Then ëfriend' it is, because
I don't plan on spending a lot of time on you."

Ginsberg chuckled. "Well,
that remains to be seen. Tell me, Xena of Amphipolous, how long has it been?
Hmmmm?" He contemplated his wine. "You're not an easy woman to find, you know.
I've been hunting you for well over five years."

The woman shrugged, appearing
bored. Leaning back, she said, "Simple incompetence, I'm sure. I haven't been
hiding." She smirked at the glare from across the table.

Xena shrugged again and
drank her wine with a smile. While she appeared to be a lazy lion, her mind
was racing. He wasn't someone she'd dealt with before, but he was a threat if
he had been hunting her. Apparently, he had decided that he was good enough
to take her on. But that was nothing new. She had developed quite the reputation
over the years. She needed to find a way to extricate herself from this situation
- there were too many potential witnesses here - and she was sure that Ginsberg
would agree.

"So..... Ever been to our
fair city?" she asked.

He raised an eyebrow. "As
a matter of fact, no. What I've seen is quite nice, however. Perhaps I'll settle
down here." He smiled. "You've been here for awhile, have you?"

Xena nodded. "Yeah, awhile,"
she agreed with a negligent wave. "I can direct you to all the great
tourist attractions, if you'd like." She grinned wolfishly at him.

"I think I'd like that very
much." Ginsberg returned the smile.

Xena stepped out of the Alexis restaurant into the bright sunlight. Still
too early to go hunting. Ginsberg had left the restaurant several minutes
earlier and was nowhere to be seen. Xena nodded to herself and strolled down
Burnside to her car.

It was beginning to get
warm again. Portland, Oregon was going to be celebrating the annual Rose Festival
next weekend, and Waterfront Park was already beginning to show the effects.
Xena stopped at the bridge, looking out over the activity. There were already
a couple of tents going up further down the way. Closer to the bridge was the
skeletal frame of a stage thrusting it's way to the sky. Workmen clambered over
it, calling to each other.

Xena leaned her elbows against
the railing, blue eyes far away. Other festivals, other times came to mind.
A green-eyed woman with red-gold hair smiled and waved before excitedly turning
to watch a juggler. A staff twirled and danced in the woman's capable hands
during practice bouts on the field. The woman danced in Xena's arms to a folk
tune, body held close. Skin against skin, heat rising from both to feed the
ascending inferno. She could hear the moans, the sighs, her name being called
out breathlessly.

Xena shook herself and stood
upright. She took a deep breath, looking down and again seeing the stage, the
tents, the workmen. Various people rollerblading, walking, biking along the
path. She blew out the breath out and moved to the stairs, taking the steps
down to the parking area under the bridge. She had a couple of hours before
dark. Time to finish that job and go hunting.

She parked her Mustang convertable on the shoulder of the road. It had gotten
dark and cooled off considerably. She removed her .45 automatic and locked it
in the glove compartment. Reaching next to her, she picked up her sword and
exited the car, locking it and setting the alarm. She scanned the forest around
her with narrowed eyes, senses taut and ready. Quietly, she trotted across the
street and moved down the trail.

It had been a long time
since she'd been on a hunt, but Xena hadn't let herself slack. There was always
going to be somebody to challenge her; she knew this. And despite all the pain
and darkness she dealt with on a daily basis, she was just too damned stubborn
to give up life. Besides, it wasn't like she'd end up in the Elysian Fields
or anything. The woman snorted softly and moved off the trail.

The Arboretum was a large
forest actually located within city limits. There were miles of trails that
people used during the daylight hours for nature walks and the like. But, at
night, the forest was fairly well deserted - a perfect place for her needs.
She hadn't been here since..... Well, wasn't it that woman from the Czech
Republic? That had to have been at least three years ago.

Xena shrugged to herself
and kept moving silently through the forest. She had given up the trail, preferring
the unpredictablity of the woods themselves. Not that it made any difference
- she'd be able to feel Ginsberg, and he her, before she got to him - but it
was good to feel the wildness beneath her boots. Even if it was a cultivated
wildness.

The chill air was rich with
the smells of pine and loam. A field mouse skittered away from her path. The
slight breeze rustled the trees as they whispered to each other. Yes. It had
been a long time since she was here last. She vowed to return in the daylight
at the first opportunity.

She stopped. Her heart and
stomach clenched. She could feel the tingling in her body that heralded the
closeness of another. Adrenaline pumped through her system as she cautiously
looked around for her prey.

She heard a twig snap and
moved towards it. Ginsberg was leaning against a tree, looking nonchalant, cleaning
his fingernails with a dagger in his left hand. A saber hung from his left hip
in a well-worn sheath. He yawned idly before scanning the surrounding area.
"Are we to play hide and seek, then?" he asked the air.

Ginsberg shrugged. Pushing
himself away from the tree, he circled around the small clearing. "Oh, I think
we can devise a little something to keep you entertained."

She moved opposite of him,
watching the dagger in his hand. She drew her sword from its sheath and cut
the air with it, feeling the balance and heft. Eagerness and a grim joy flowed
through her. Gods, I love this dance.

The man before her drew
his saber, and crouched down a bit, brown eyes sparkling. Slowly, they manuevered,
feinting, searching for weakness. Suddenly, they both surged forward, swords
clashing together. Sparks flew in the night. With swords locked, Xena felt more
than saw the dagger moving towards her right side. She pushed off with her sword
and brought her fist down to smash into Ginsberg's forearm, spoiling the aim.

The man backed away, grinning
at her. "Not bad for an old hag," he quipped. "How old are you, anyway?"
He moved around her, searching her defenses.

"What's the saying? Old
enough to know better, too young to care?" Xena responded. She moved forward
in a quick slash across his belly, but Ginsberg jumped back. Before he could
go any further, she attacked again, their swords deflecting each other. Again,
she pushed the attack, locking swords with him. "And how old are you,
youngster?" she growled before shoving him away from their deadlock.

Ginsberg laughed. "I like
your answer."

Xena moved forward, ducking
under his right arm as the man took a swing with his saber. She felt the fire
along her right side, near the kidney. Cursing, she pulled away and blocked
the follow up stroke of his saber. Her left hand felt for the damage and came
away with blood.

She looked up as she heard
chuckling. The man held a bloody dagger. "First blood goes to me, it seems."
He leered at her as he licked her blood off the weapon. "Sweet," he murmured,
something dark flashing across his eyes. "Wonder how sweet the rest of you tastes."

Smiling ferally, her wound
already forgotten, she sprang forward, delivering a roundhouse kick where his
head used to be. Ginsberg had ducked out of the way. However, as she came down,
she slashed with her sword, catching him on the left thigh. She felt the gratifying
thrill of her blade grating against bone. As he faltered, she whirled around,
bringing her left fist around to backhand and break his nose.

Ginsberg was no longer smiling.
He was on his left knee, leaning on his left hand, saber held out in front of
him to forestall another immediate attack. Blood poured from his nose.

The woman backed off, the
smile never leaving her face. "Doubt you'll find out," she mocked.

"That remains to be seen,"
he said with a smile of his own. His face looked like a rictus of death, and
the blood had slowed from his nose. He leapt forward, favoring his left leg.
Xena blocked the saber and pulled just out of reach of his dagger.

"Is that the best
you can do?" she asked, blue eyes icy. She watched the smile drain from Ginsberg's
face, his eyes narrowed.

"Oh, no," he said softly.
"I can do better." With a sudden flurry of movement, he was upon her, blades
shining in the moonlight.

Unable to get her arm up
in time, she felt the dagger bite into her belly. She pushed him back, but not
before his saber came down and gracefully sliced open her belly again.

Frantically, Xena tucked
and rolled away, clutching her stomach with her left hand. Ginsberg grinned
at her, limping from side to side, just out of reach. She slowly stood up, accessing
the damage and keeping an eye on her opponent.

"You know, I'm surprised
you've lived as long as you have," Ginsberg said conversationally. "Getting
a little rusty, aren't we?" He chuckled at her glare. "Oh, please, the Evil
Eye doesn't work with me. Maybe in your time it was successful, but this
is my time." He studied her with a smile. "Ready to die, warrior?"

"Not yet," Xena grated.
She rallied forward in a blur of motion, sword and body whirling.

He brought up his saber
to block, but failed. Her sword cut deeply into his right arm, causing him to
drop his blade. He weakly deflected her next swing with his dagger. The third
time her blade approached, Ginsberg couldn't move fast enough. He felt the fire
of steel as she ran him through.

Xena used her boot to dislodge
her sword from Ginsberg's belly. She watched as he fell to his knees before
her. She moved forward, a look of hatred and lust on her beautiful face. "Are
you ready to die?" she purred seductively. Taking him by the right shoulder,
she braced him as she drove her hilt hard against the wound in his body. The
man doubled over, wheezing in agony. Disgusted, she tossed him to the forest
floor where he appeared to pass out.

The woman backed off a step
to catch her breath. The wound to her belly was already feeling less painful.
She watched Ginsberg lay weakly in the dirt, feelings of excitement and joy
dueling with the remorse that this was the only option there was. Well, time
to finish it. She moved forward and crouched next to the man's head.

"Time to say bye-bye," she
crooned, slapping his face. "C'mon, youngster. You got me all excited. I don't
like it when my men fall asleep before they deliver."

Ginsberg came to slowly,
painfully, moaning. He felt strong fingers grab his hair and help him to a kneeling
position. Looking up through bleary eyes, he saw the woman towering over him,
sword raised above her head. He fancied she was an angry angel, blue eyes flashing,
come to avenge herself against him. He heard her whisper something before feeling
the blade slice through the air, decapitating him.

"There can be only one."

Xena watched distractedly
as Ginsberg's corpse fell over, twitching and pumping out the last of its arterial
blood. The head kept its momentum and rolled to rest under a nearby tree. In
the dark moonlight, the corpse began to take on an ethereal glow. It expanded
and writhed, becoming a maelstrom that enveloped her.

Convulsions shook her body
as the otherworldly storm pierced her to her soul. Lightning crashed out of
a clear sky to explode several treetops. Her hair stood on end as the electricity
filled the air. She opened her mouth and silently screamed at the desired invasion.

Slowly, the frenzied tempest
dissipated, the breeze no longer frantic. As if her strings had been cut, she
dropped to her knees, head bowed, gulping in air to her tortured lungs. The
night quieted.

The woman leaned on her
sword and staggered to her feet. She shuffled over to the corpse. Squatting
down, she used the man's clothing to clean off her blade. "Hey," she said conversationally.
"Do me a favor. Tell Hades he still owes me." She collected his dagger
and saber, cleaning them off as well. Best not to leave too much evidence
for Portland's finest, she surmised. Sheathing her own blade, she began
to move away from the clearing, senses alert.

Now that she was no longer
occupied with Ginsberg, she realized that there was something wrong. Scanning
the dark closely, she could faintly detect motion and the sound of ragged breathing.
Xena frowned. Damn! Another freaking complication! She began to trot
away from the witness and the clearing, keeping an ear tuned. Whoever it was
wasn't following her. As she got out of sight, she turned and doubled back,
swinging around to come up on the person from behind.

She inched her way forward
silently. The witness was crouched behind a large maple tree, peering into the
open area. Looked like a kid. She growled to herself. Kids should be home
in fucking bed, right now. What the Hades is the world coming to? She eased
closer until she was inches away.

"Looking for something?"
she growled softly.

The kid gasped and whirled
around, eyes wide. Xena's eyes also widened as she recognized the figure. Green
eyes, red gold hair in the moonlight. "G.... Gabrielle....?" she whispered in
shock, reaching out her hand.

The young woman slashed
out viciously with a knife, drawing blood. As the warrior staggered back a step
in shock and pain, the kid took off running away from the clearing. Xena could
only stare at the retreating form.

"Gabrielle....?" She whispered
to herself. But, how?She had watched Gabrielle die over two millenia
ago.

Xena didn't know for sure why she had become Immortal and a player of the Game.
She had her suspicions, however, and it all revolved around her consumption
of ambrosia. After being brought back to life the first time, things had gone
on as usual - she and her bard traveled about, righting wrongs, standing up
for peace, justice, and the Grecian way. But, eventually, she ran into a brick
wall. She died.

There was a major difference
with this second death. She saw no one. Nothing. No Tartarus. No Elysium. Neither
friends nor enemies nor gods came to her. And then she was alive again, gasping
painfully and watching her frantic lover's amazed face. The mortal wound she
had taken looked to be a week old, rather than a day.

The two women had talked
of it many times over the years, and Xena had fallen one other time to the death
that was not death. The same results occurred. One of the beneficial side effects,
however, was that the gods seemed to have lost their interest in Xena. She never
heard from Ares, Aphrodite, or any of them again. It was as if she was now off
limits.

Which was fine by her. She'd
about had her fill of their incessant interference and games. It was quite a
delight to go day by day and not worry about what god was doing which thing
to who. Not having Callisto underfoot was one of the better rewards. It wasn't
until years had passed that the couple realized the extent of the changes within
Xena.

Gabrielle became old. Xena
didn't.

As the years flew by, Gabrielle
eventually decided to settle down with her Amazons. Xena, still chafing at establishing
a permanent residence, took many ëvacations' from the tribe. But she always
returned to her heart. Her bard's red-gold hair faded to white, the green eyes
became murkier as time went on. As Gabrielle's time neared its end, Xena stayed
in the village more and more. Ultimately, the day arrived that would be the
bard's last.

In the Queen's hut, there
was only the sound of raspy breathing. Queen Gabrielle lay in her deathbed,
a coma having taken her two days before. Sitting on the edge of the bed, holding
her hand, was the Warrior Princess. Surrounding her were her honor guard and
a few close friends.

Xena idly stroked the paper
thin skin of Gabrielle's hand. It had been a good many years and she only hoped
that the gods would see fit to ease her lover from the pain that this world
held for her. She had long since given up talking to the gods herself, as they
ignored her, as usual. She could only hope.

She felt the hand under
hers twitch and weakly grab ahold. Her icy blue eyes darted to Gabrielle's face,
aged green eyes smiling back at her.

The Queen opened her mouth
to speak, but only a cough came out.

Xena grabbed a cup of water
and helped her lover drink, easing her back down onto the pillows. "Don't talk,
Gabrielle. Save your strength."

The dark haired warrior
lowered her head, hiding the pained expression. "Sure, you do," she choked.
"We'll have you up and doing staff routines in no time."

The elderly woman chuckled
and reached out her hand. She turned Xena's face towards her, caressing a cheek
and brushing away an errant tear. "I want you to know that I love you. I always
will. And I will wait for you in the Elysian Fields."

"From the looks of it, I
won't be arriving anywhere - Elysium or Tartarus," Xena growled. "You
could be waiting a very long time, my bard."

Gabrielle shrugged minutely,
a soft smile on her face. "I have many skills, my warrior." Her smile widened.
"Besides, if you make me wait long enough, I'll just have to come back and find
you."

Despite herself, Xena snorted
and grinned.

"Ah, that's better. I wanted
to see you smile again. Remember me in your thoughts, Xena."

"I will," Xena whispered.
She leaned forward and softly brushed her bard's lips with a kiss. She heard
Gabrielle sigh for the last time. She pulled away, struggling with the knot
in her throat, and gently closed her lover's eyes. "I love you, Gabrielle. Never
forget that."

Xena had suffered through
the long, drawn out funeral of state for three days before Gabrielle's body
was put to the flame. Afterwards, she took the ashes to the coastline and let
them fly from a cliff. She made good her promise and continued doing good for
others, rather than allowing the darkness to take hold again. It was an extremely
difficult time, but she had been given Gabrielle's staff and would hold it at
night, or carry it with her during her travels as a reminder.

Several years later, she
felt the Quickening for the first time and discovered what it meant to be Immortal.
She cursed the day that she ever decided to fight and come back from death.
She was positive that the ambrosia was the reason this had happened. All she
could hope for now was that someone somewhere had the skills to take her head.
Because if there was one thing Xena knew, her will to live was far too strong
for her to stand idly by and commit passive suicide.

"No! It can't be."

Xena started and looked
for the speaker, only to realize it was herself. She extended her senses, trying
to locate the girl. Nothing. Damn! She got away!

The woman's grip tightened
on Ginsberg's weapons. She had to get out of here. If that kid tips the police,
there's going to be a lot of unwanted company in these here hills. Xena
fought with the urge to follow the kid's trail. Wouldn't do any good once she
got out of the forest. No way to leave a trail on pavement.

Cursing softly to herself,
Xena vowed to find the girl and find out what the blazes was going on. She slowly
began trotting away from the physical and emotional carnage, silent and frowning.